Boston/New York: Fire broke out on an empty Boeing Co 787 Dreamliner jet parked at a gate in Boston on Monday, putting safety concerns about the new, carbon-composite jet back in the spotlight and drawing attention from federal investigators.
Officials said the fire started when a battery in the Japan Airlines Co Ltd jet's auxiliary power system exploded around 10:30 a.m. ET, shortly after passengers deplaned.
A mechanic inspecting the jet discovered smoke in the cockpit while performing a routine post-flight inspection and reported it to authorities at Boston's Logan International Airport, officials said.
"Japan Airlines spokeswoman Carol Anderson later said smoke was not discovered in the cockpit. "Smoke was initially discovered by a maintenance staff in the rear end of the cabin, and confirmed by another maintenance staff who also detected smoke outside the aircraft," she said in an email.
08/01/13 Reuters/Indian Express
